Death of nurse in ‘encounter’ outrages kin

CEBU CITY, Philippines - Outrage and shock over the killing of a nursing graduate and two others in an alleged encounter between soldiers and rebels in Negros Oriental poured in from her family and from militant groups. This as the Cebu Provincial Board asked the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to look into the incident, which killed Rachelle Mae Palang and her companions Gerry Cabangcay and Federico Villalongha. Rachelle, 21, is from Barangay Poblacion in Consolacion and the daughter of Elenito, former municipal councilor of that town; Cabangcay is from Barangay Luz, Cebu City while Villalongha is from Sevilla, Bohol. Palang’s body was cremated yesterday and her family asked the media to respect their privacy while they mourned her death. Inquiry Dennis Abarientos, secretary general of the human rights group Karapatan Central Visayas, said they sent a team to Negros Oriental to investigate the case. Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party also released a statement condemning Rachelle’s death. “If she and the others were armed or members of the NPA, then the incident should be investigated. No conclusion must be made prior to an impartial inquiry. Otherwise, such cases become justification for military to call all militant groups NPA affiliates," the statement said. Provincial Board Member Victor Maambong, who represents the sixth district where Consolacion belongs, noted the “dubious circumstances" surrounding the incident, as Palang was merely on a “medical mission." Maambong’s motion for CHR to look into the incident was approved by the Provincial Board during its regular session yesterday. “Even granting that the students were engaged in recruitment activities and were armed…this does not excuse the military’s disregard of the rules of engagement," Maambong said. He described Palang as a very opinionated and committed leader. Velez dean of the college of nursing, Maria Carmel Kangleon, interviewed over radio dyLA, said Rachelle was a “bright" student and was in the dean’s list for the first two years. She described her as an active leader and editor of the school publication, Vital Signs. Classmates and Rach-elle’s fellow members of the College Editor’s Guild of the Philippines found it hard to believe she was armed. Not armed Military officials maintained that the three were among the armed New Peoples Army (NPA) rebels who engaged elements of the 79th and 12th Infantry Battalions in a firefight in Barangay Malungcay Dako, Dauin last Thursday. But Elenito called up a local radio station yesterday to correct a military official’s earlier pronouncement that his daughter was armed with an M-16 rifle. He said that while he was in Negros Oriental to claim his daughter’s body, he talked with Col. Cesar Yano, head of the 302nd Infantry Brigade. The 79th and 12th IBs are under his brigade. Elenito said he asked Yano if it was true his daughter was armed and Yano and an army captain told him she was not. “Ang gitubag gyud niya nga categorically, wala ug mao na akong i-correct lang," Elenito said, noting that the claim that his daughter was armed did not sound fair to her. But Yano told reporters yesterday that Palang was armed. Lt. Col. Bernard Neri, head of the 79th IB also said Palang was found with an M16 rifle. Yano revealed that he met Elenito last Sunday and the latter admitted to him that his daughter was a student activist and often asked to go on medical missions, but only within Cebu Province. In the middle of July, shortly after taking her nursing board exams, she asked permission to go to Siaton, Negros Oriental for a three-month medical mission. Firefight Neri recounted that while they were patrolling the encounter site, they chanced upon Villalong-ha’s group, whose members were carrying firearms, prompting them to call their attention. He claimed that one of the rebels shot at them, resulting in the 45-minute gunfight. He showed reporters from Cebu the recovered bags, ammunition, guns and “subversive" documents. Lt. Gen. Pedro Ike Inserto, commanding general of Central Command, believe three other rebels were wounded in the encounter and that they were taken to Cebu for treatment. They received reports that the wounded were brought to a village in Aloguinsan town, which was why a platoon from the 78th Infantry Battalion is conducting special operations there. He said Aloguinsan Vice Mayor Cesar Moreno told the military about the presence of “suspicious" persons, who appeared to be bringing wounded soldiers, in a mountain village there. The military does not believe the rebels will bring them to a hospital because such facilities in Cebu have close coordination with the local police. Inserto personally visited his troops in Negros yesterday and pinned gold cross medals on those involved in the operation. He expects lawsuits but expressed readiness to face these. – Sun.Star Cebu